Biography
John Surdyk is the Director of the Initiative for Studies in Transformational Entrepreneurship that encourages entrepreneurship research, curriculum development, and programming at UW-Madison. On campus, he leads the StartUp Learning Community, and he supports several competitions that foster social innovation and entrepreneurial action, including the Arts Business Competition, the Clinton Foundation Global Initiative, and the IBM Global Challenge. Prior to joining INSITE, Surdyk founded and led Re-Envision Consulting, a firm working with nonprofit organizations pursuing innovative earned-income strategies where novel approaches to social problems and new technologies could be deployed for public benefit. Earlier in his career, Surdyk worked with the consulting arm of the Stanford Research Institute in Menlo Park as well as Navigant Consulting in Chicago. He primarily worked with executives and entrepreneurs at a mix of technology and life science companies developing strategic approaches to new markets and valuing damages in disputes. Surdyk received the Mabel W. Chipman Award for Teaching Excellence in 2017, and he was selected as a Schmidt Futures entrepreneurial fellow in 2019. He currently serves as the Vice Chair of the board of the Overture Center, Wisconsin’s largest nonprofit arts organization. He did his undergraduate work at Stanford University in Earth Systems Science and Economics and earned an M.B.A. at University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Research
Selected Published Journal Articles
Miner, A. & Gong, Y. & Ciuchta, M. & Sadler, A. & Surdyk, J. (2010). Promoting university startups: international patterns, vicarious learning and policy implications Journal of Technology Transfer
Practitioner-Oriented Publications
Surdyk, J. (2013). CSR: More than PR, Pursuing Competitive Advantage in the Long Run QFinance: The Ultimate Resource 4th edition
Surdyk, J. (2006). CSR: More than PR, Pursuing Competitive Advantage in the Long Run Business: The Ultimate Resource
Presentations
Deshpande Symposium for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Higher Education (2019) Starting Up and Maintaining Student Involvement with Entrepreneurship Communities at Your Campus
PAVE Arts Entrepreneurship Conference (2017) Creative Placemaking and Arts Entrepreneurship in W isconsin
Arts Business Research Symposium (2014) Creative Campus Environments
Global Entrepreneurship Week (2011) Corporate Social Responsibility
Bowhay Institute for Legislative Leadership Annual Meeting (2008) Green infrastructure
Bowhay Institute for Legislative Leadership Annual Meeting (2007) Research parks and technology transfer
NCIIA National Conference (2004) Entrepreneurship at UW-Madison
Teaching
Undergraduate Courses
Small Business Management/Entr (MHR 422), Fall 2014.
Describes activities and skills necessary to start and manage a small business. Includes operation of an actual enterprise and field studies of local small businesses.
Entrepreneurial Management (MHR 422), Fall 2015.
Addresses entrepreneurship as a career,a phenomenon and as a method of bringing ideas to market. Appropriate for students interested in starting entrepreneurial ventures,advising managers or working in a small business. Including opportunity discovery
Entrepreneurial Management (MHR 422), Fall 2016.
Addresses entrepreneurship as a career,a phenomenon and as a method of bringing ideas to market. Appropriate for students interested in starting entrepreneurial ventures,advising managers or working in a small business. Including opportunity discovery
Small Business Management/Entr (MHR 422), Fall 2011. Download Syllabus
Describes activities and skills necessary to start and manage a small business. Includes operation of an actual enterprise and field studies of local small businesses.
Small Business Management/Entr (MHR 422), Fall 2012.
Describes activities and skills necessary to start and manage a small business. Includes operation of an actual enterprise and field studies of local small businesses.
Small Business Management/Entr (MHR 422), Fall 2013.
Describes activities and skills necessary to start and manage a small business. Includes operation of an actual enterprise and field studies of local small businesses.
Independent Study (MHR 399), Fall 2008. Download Syllabus
This Independent Study is intended for a student interested in understanding how entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial firms identify and exploit new opportunities. Specifically, the student will become conversant in the major lines of inquiry within the field of entrepreneurship research related to discovery and exploitation, and he will examine the strategic implications of these fundamental processes and apply the readings or invoke frameworks from several disciplines.
Independent Study (MHR 399), Fall 2006. Download Syllabus
This Independent Study is intended for a student interested in understanding the role of incubators in an entrepreneurial context. Specifically, the student will become conversant in the major lines of inquiry within the emerging field of incubator research, and she will consider the implications of key findings through a structured project on campus that will allow her to synthesize and apply the readings and frameworks. The student should gain (1) conceptual knowledge of competing and complementary scholarly views on the processes and impacts of incubators designed for specific purposes and environments like universities, (2) factual knowledge about contemporary incubator design and performance, and (3) tools for designing and evaluating incubators as well as market research techniques.
Independent Study (MHR 399), Fall 2005. Download Syllabus
This Independent Study is based on the premise that entrepreneurs capitalize on opportunities created by conditions of industry, social and technological change. The intent of this Independent Study is to provide an overview of entrepreneurship research and conceptual tools that will help the student understand the formulation and execution of strategy in an entrepreneurial context. This Independent Study is intended for a student interested in understanding how entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial firms identify and exploit new opportunities. Specifically, the student will become conversant in the major lines of inquiry within the field of entrepreneurship research related to discovery and exploitation, and he will examine the strategic implications of these fundamental processes through a structured project with a Madison area company that will allow him to synthesize and apply the readings and frameworks from several disciplines. This Independent Study will prepare the student for further work in entrepreneurship research while simultaneously preparing him to be more effective, strategic leader in entrepreneurial firms.
Contemporary Topics (MHR 365), Spring 2011. Download Syllabus
A course for the exploration of subject areas possibly to be introduced into the business curriculum.
Contemporary Topics (MHR 365), Fall 2011. Download Syllabus
A course for the exploration of subject areas possibly to be introduced into the business curriculum.
(MHR 321), Spring 2013.
(MHR 321), Spring 2012.
Social Entrepreneurship (MHR 321), Spring 2018.
For the student interested in creating socially-engaged businesses and using entrepreneurial approaches to non-profit ventures. Activities include developing mission statement,assessing social impact,seeking funding from varied sources. Guest lecturer
Social Entrepreneurship (MHR 321), Spring 2019.
For the student interested in creating socially-engaged businesses and using entrepreneurial approaches to non-profit ventures. Activities include developing mission statement,assessing social impact,seeking funding from varied sources. Guest lecturer
Social Entrepreneurship (MHR 321), Spring 2017.
For the student interested in creating socially-engaged businesses and using entrepreneurial approaches to non-profit ventures. Activities include developing mission statement,assessing social impact,seeking funding from varied sources. Guest lecturer
Social Entrepreneurship (MHR 321), Spring 2016.
For the student interested in creating socially-engaged businesses and using entrepreneurial approaches to non-profit ventures. Activities include developing mission statement,assessing social impact,seeking funding from varied sources. Guest lecturer
(MHR 321), Spring 2015.
(MHR 321), Spring 2014.
New Ventures in Business,the (MHR 320), Fall 2014.
Students develop capabilities to create new ventures that create value,and critically analyze role of entrepreneurship in society. Activities: Imagine/design new ventures,identify markets and funding sources,develop founding teams,do scholarly resear
New Ventures in Business,the Arts and Social Entrepreneurship (MHR 320), Fall 2015.
Students develop capabilities to create new ventures that create value,and critically analyze role of entrepreneurship in society. Activities: Imagine/design new ventures,identify markets and funding sources,develop founding teams,do scholarly resear
New Ventures in Business,the Arts and Social Entrepreneurship (MHR 320), Fall 2016.
Students develop capabilities to create new ventures that create value,and critically analyze role of entrepreneurship in society. Activities: Imagine/design new ventures,identify markets and funding sources,develop founding teams,do scholarly resear
New Ventures in Business,the Arts and Social Entrepreneurship (MHR 320), Fall 2017.
Students develop capabilities to create new ventures that create value,and critically analyze role of entrepreneurship in society. Activities: Imagine/design new ventures,identify markets and funding sources,develop founding teams,do scholarly resear
New Ventures in Business, the Arts and Social Entr (MHR 320), Fall 2019.
Develop capabilities to create new ventures that create value, and critically analyze role of entrepreneurship in society. Activities: Imagine/design new ventures, identify markets and funding sources, develop founding teams, do scholarly research on impact of entrepreneurship. Enroll Info: None
New Ventures in Business,the Arts and Social Entrepreneurship (MHR 320), Fall 2018.
Develop capabilities to create new ventures that create value,and critically analyze role of entrepreneurship in society. Activities: Imagine/design new ventures,identify markets and funding sources,develop founding teams,do scholarly research on imp
New Ventures in Business, the (MHR 320), Fall 2012.
Students develop capabilities to create new ventures that create value, and critically analyze role of entrepreneurship in society. Activities: Imagine/design new ventures, identify markets and funding sources, develop founding teams, do scholarly resear
New Ventures in Business, the (MHR 320), Fall 2013.
Students develop capabilities to create new ventures that create value, and critically analyze role of entrepreneurship in society. Activities: Imagine/design new ventures, identify markets and funding sources, develop founding teams, do scholarly resear
Hybrid Courses
Contemporary Topics (MHR/MHR 365/765), Spring 2016.
A course for the exploration of subject areas possibly to be introduced into the business curriculum.
Contemporary Topics (MHR 365/765), Spring 2017.
A course for the exploration of subject areas possibly to be introduced into the business curriculum.
Contemporary Topics (MHR 365/765), Spring 2018.
A course for the exploration of subject areas possibly to be introduced into the business curriculum.
Contemporary Topics (MHR 365/765), Spring 2019.
Exploration of subject areas possibly to be introduced into the business curriculum. Enroll Info: None
Contemporary Topics (MHR/MHR 365/365), Spring 2010. Download Syllabus
A course for the exploration of subject areas possibly to be introduced into the business curriculum.
Service
Professional Organizations
Overture Center Foundation
City of Monona Community Development Authority
Wisconsin School of Business Alumni Advisory Board
Editorial and Reviewing Activities
Gale Encyclopedia of E-Commerce and companion Sourcebook – May 2011 – May 2011
Content Editor
Gale Encyclopedia of Small Business, 4th edition – November 2010 – November 2010
Content Editor